What, why, and how do we meditate?

Anapanasati(The mindfulness of breathing)

Buddha said:

“Bhikkhus(Buddhist monk), the mindfulness of breathing, when developed and cultivated, is of great fruit and benefit. And how, bhikkhus, is mindfulness of breathing developed and cultivated so that it is of great fruit and benefit?

Here, bhikkhus, a bhikkhu, having gone to the forest, to the foot of a tree, or an empty hut, sits down. Having folded his legs crosswise, straightened his body, and set up mindfulness in front of him, just mindful he breathes in, mindful he breathes out. “Breathing in long, he knows: “I breathe in long’; or breathing out long, he knows: ‘I breathe out long.“Breathing in short, he knows: ‘I breathe in short’; or breathing out short, he knows: ‘I breathe out short.’"

If your mind moves from your breath, the Buddha told us to cease the delight, bring the mind back to the breath. This is all you need to do. If you have the wisdom to examine that when the mind moves that is when the mind is not knowing the breath. Such as thinking about the past, got carried away for a while then you pull back to the breath, the thought about the past will disappear, the breath will be known again. This is seeing the arising and vanishing of the mind.

7 Benefits of Anapanasati

1. One attains final knowledge early in this very life.
2. If one does not attain final knowledge early in this very life, then one attains final knowledge at the time of death.
3. If one does not attain final knowledge early in this very life or at the time of death, then with the utter destruction of the five lower fetters one becomes an attainer of Nibbana(Nirvana) in the interval.
4. If one does not attain final knowledge early in this very life...or become an attainer of Nibbana in the interval, then with the utter destruction of the five lower fetters, one becomes an attainer of Nibbana upon landing.
5. If one does not attain final knowledge early in this very life...or become an attainer of Nibbana upon landing, then with the utter destruction of the five lower fetters, one becomes an attainer of Nibbana without exertion.
6. If one does not attain final knowledge early in this very life...or become an attainer of Nibbana without exertion, then with the utter destruction of the five lower fetters, one becomes an attainer of Nibbana with exertion.
7. “If one does not attain final knowledge early in this very life...or become an attainer of Nibbana with exertion, then with the utter destruction of the five lower fetters one becomes one bound upstream, heading towards the Akanittha(deity) realm.

 

The final knowledge(Abhijna)

Obtained through virtuous living and meditation. The attainment of the four jhanas, or meditative absorptions, are considered a prerequisite for their attainment.

 

Jhanas(the training of the mind)

To withdraw the mind from the automatic responses to sense-impressions, and leading to a "state of perfect equanimity(mental calmness) and awareness

 

In conclusion

Always be aware of your breathing ".....the mindfulness of breathing, when developed and cultivated, is of great fruit and benefit"

Here is the exact word of what Buddha said over 2500 years ago anapanasati